I'm obsessed lately with singing one of my old favs - The Romantics - What I Like About You. It's still a great song with lots of edge. The Romantics were considered "new wave" which according to Wikipedia is:
New Wave is an inexact term for a rock genre that originated in 1976. The term started as applying to punk rock music. It evolved to cover punk based acts that mixed in other elements.
I've been searching around to see if I can find a few good examples of jewelry worn by the "New Wavers" (of which I was one). Skinny ties, sneakers with a suit for guys but been having trouble with the girls. I found this one - How to Look Punk: The New Wave of Sound and Style
Looks like a chain belt and/or some charms hanging from a chain - aren't those back in style now?
Anyhoo - it may or may not lead to any inspired beadmaking on my part but I have The Romantics blaring in my studio and I still remember when to clap and yell, "Hey!"
I like edgey fashion and my Heartz n Skullz series reflect my love of all things edgey. But as a mom and living a middle class life, the stereotype says I'm not supposed to like it. But here's where I have everything in common with the edgey crowd - I don't like being stereotyped, I don't fit it. That's probably why some of The Teen's friends think I'm cool. If you look closely at me, you'll find a bit of edgey jewelry among the middle class mom, or you'll see me watching NCIS soley because of the bright, funny, Goth character, Abby. It's the most recent guilty pleasure for The Teen and I. I'm always fascinated with her jewelry. Above, chains fastened with a lock or below, Goth with a soft side - delicate silver rings joined by a silver bead. (Above photos from Pauley Perrette Fan Facebook)
Another source of the Goth - Millenium Punk style with the red, white and black color palette are the White Stripes in this photo from the MTV website
All of this percolates in my brain and inspires new pieces like the finished Gothic Lace..... I'm attracted to alot of different styles and it's reflected in my work - maybe that's why I don't seem to have a "voice" but I've always been that way. I do tend to gravitate to the edgey. Do you love edgey jewelry?
I'm an old punk rocker at heart - so this post brought back alot of memories. Seems like it did for some of my blog readers too!
Photo by Dijiddle
Alternative style - punk style is what today is about. Sunday I blogged about the tail end of the baby boom generation as a separate group - The Jones Generation. I think the Jones Generation had a particular attitude that fed into the emerging punk style of the late 1970's ala the Ramones and The Clash. It was pre-spiked hair and dog collars although Vivienne Westwood was making that popular in the UK. Punk was designed to shock. The style and music was stripped down - with a heavy dose of DIY. Chains, slogan t-shirts and customized blazers.
A straight A student in high school, I had an artsy side that came out in what I wore. I loved the rebellious nature of punk. I wasn't willing to drop out of school but I was willing to shock by wearing the style and listen to the music! I latched onto the customized blazer - I borrowed old pinstriped blazers from the back of my father's closet and customized it with vintage rhinestone pins, shoe clips and whatever else I could find. I could change it the look by changing the pins and buttons on it. Cool!
So the current trend in DIY and punk style is just as fun now as it was then. Punk style now is full of skulls, dyed hair, black with a punch of color, chains, hearts and plaid. Some call it punk, pop punk, hardcore punk, and there is even something called "Steampunk". There's lots of overlap with Goth style but I'm going to hold off on Goth until tomorrow. When I think of Millenium Punk, I think of this Blythe Doll from Etsy.
All of this is where the Heartz n Skullz and Industry series of beads come from. Slightly different in feel, they are inspired by the same punk aesthetic.
So, when designing with Punk inspired beads, you might want to turn up your old record player and listen to the Ramones. Here are the Ramones in Rock and Roll High School - Enjoy!
Alternative style - punk style is what today is about. Sunday I blogged about the tail end of the baby boom generation as a separate group - The Jones Generation. I think the Jones Generation had a particular attitude that fed into the emerging punk style of the late 1970's ala the Ramones and The Clash. It was pre-spiked hair and dog collars although Vivienne Westwood was making that popular in the UK. Punk was designed to shock. The style and music was stripped down - with a heavy dose of DIY. Chains, slogan t-shirts and customized blazers.
A straight A student in high school, I had an artsy side that came out in what I wore. I loved the rebellious nature of punk. I wasn't willing to drop out of school but I was willing to shock by wearing the style and listen to the music! I latched onto the customized blazer - I borrowed old pinstriped blazers from the back of my father's closet and customized it with vintage rhinestone pins, shoe clips and whatever else I could find. I could change it the look by changing the pins and buttons on it. Cool!
So the current trend in DIY and punk style is just as fun now as it was then. Punk style now is full of skulls, dyed hair, black with a punch of color, chains, hearts and plaid. Some call it punk, pop punk, hardcore punk, and there is even something called "Steampunk". There's lots of overlap with Goth style but I'm going to hold off on Goth until tomorrow. When I think of Millenium Punk, I think of this Blythe Doll from Etsy.
All of this is where the Heartz n Skullz and Industry series of beads come from. Slightly different in feel, they are inspired by the same punk aesthetic.
So, when designing with Punk inspired beads, you might want to turn up your old record player and listen to the Ramones. Here are the Ramones in Rock and Roll High School - Enjoy!
Today is the start of alternate styles week. You might wonder why I of all people would be into alternative style like punk and/or goth. All of us are effected by our place in time and generation. I'm from the baby boom generation - that long stretch of time when there was a huge increase in the birth rate. But the span of time is too long to be one distinct generation - I never felt like a boomer I was too young to be a hippie. I was barely in elementary school during the "summer of love." I never protested Viet Nam or knew anyone who dodged the draft and went to Canada. I've never belonged to the baby boomers. I had Spirograph and Gnip Gnop not Howdy Doody.
I've always known I wasn't the only one who felt like I was a Gen X-er instead but the media told me I wasn't. My website bio expresses some of my "not fitting my generation" feeling so what's a "I'm not a boomer to do?" Change your generation's moniker! Well, I didn't but someone had the brains to do just that! I'm not a boomer at all, I'm from Generation Jones. Cool - here's what Wikipedia says Generation Jones is:
In demographic terms, Generation Jones was part of the baby boom which ended in the early 1960s. However, the events stereotypically associated with generational discussion of Boomers, including protests over civil rights and the Vietnam war and the emergence of rock music took place while the members of Generation Jones were still children or early teenagers. Thus the early life experience of this group was more similar, in many respects, to that commonly imputed to Generation X.
THANK YOU!!
Thank you for validating my instincts. I can now say I'm part of Generation Jones rather than I'm a boomer and quantifying it.
Instead of the Mamas and the Papas, I love The Clash and punk subculture with a DIY attitude. Yes, it's my generation that sets the stage for the work I create but it's not a boomer aesthetic, it's Generation Jones!
Let's begin Alternative Week with one of my favorite bands and songs, The Clash singing London Calling! Whoot!
